Equipment check: What refs allow and don'tPosted by Randy Vogt on Feb. 28, 1:53 a.m.A soccer player's basic uniform consists of a shirt, shorts, socks, shinguards and footwear. All players should have their shirts tucked into their shorts, including goalkeepers, and shinguards must be completely covered by the socks. A preventive officiating technique is to make sure that the goalies are wearing shirts that contrast with both teams before the match, rather than realizing ...» 8 Comments

Where have all the volunteers gone? Posted by Tyler Isaacson on Feb. 24, 1:25 a.m.Running a volunteer soccer organization today can be very challenging. The old 80/20 rule where 20 percent of the people are doing 80 percent of the work seems to have slid to the 90/10 rule today.» 4 Comments

'Not every kid wants to play high school' (Q&A Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers)Posted by Mike Woitalla on Feb. 22, 1:38 a.m.The Richmond Kickers have announced they will be covering the costs of players on their U.S. Soccer Development Academy teams. We spoke with Leigh Cowlishaw, the Central Virginia club's Director of Soccer, about the impact he expects from the move - and the Academy's new 10-month season, which keeps its players out of high school ball.» 18 Comments

Is it OK to play in pain? Posted by Dev Mishra on Feb. 17, 1:52 a.m."What's the difference between discomfort and pain? And is it OK for me to keep playing if I just have a little bit?" Those are two of the most common questions I'm asked by injured young athletes, and I'm guessing the same is true for our sports medicine colleagues across the country. The answers are different from person to person, ...» 1 Comments

Dribble on! ... High school more fun?Posted by Mike Woitalla on Feb. 10, 7:23 p.m.We need dribblers! ... In response to Wednesday's YouthSoccerInsider on curricula for American youth soccer, Brad Partridge of FC Florida pointed to a bit from the U.S. Soccer Curriculum he had issue with.» 11 Comments

The case for high school soccerPosted by Michael Barr on Feb. 3, 12:13 a.m.The U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy league will soon be telling its players to not play high school soccer or any other high school sports. Most parents of these elite players will buy into the decision.» 60 Comments